The VISITING team had scored in the 9th to take the lead. If he calls the game, they LOSE despite the fact that they were WINNING. Obviously the Cardinals wanted the game called. I'm not a huge fan of Joe West, but I appreciate the fact that he went above and beyond to make sure that the team that deserved to win the game actually did so.

If the White Sox lost a game because the umpires didn't wait out rain you would be blaming it on a 30-year conspiracy based on an off-handed comment that Eddie Einhorn made to Lee McPhail in 1982 and the MLB front offices have been extracting revenge against the Sox ever since.

The VISITING team had scored in the 9th to take the lead. If he calls the game, they LOSE despite the fact that they were WINNING. Obviously the Cardinals wanted the game called. I'm not a huge fan of Joe West, but I appreciate the fact that he went above and beyond to make sure that the team that deserved to win the game actually did so.

If the White Sox lost a game because the umpires didn't wait out rain you would be blaming it on a 30-year conspiracy based on an off-handed comment that Eddie Einhorn made to Lee McPhail in 1982 and the MLB front offices have been extracting revenge against the Sox ever since.

My issue with the situation is that the game ended in the early hours of the morning on the same day in which West's crew had to be in Chicago to call a day game at the Urinal. To be fair, however, West did say that he "wasn't going to worry about the Cubs game until the previous game was over."

I'm sure ending a game at 3:35AM is 'fair' to the fans, you know the folks who pay the freight for this. To say nothing of the players themselves having to try to perform at that hour.

As far as a "conspiracy", I only pass along what I'm being told by folks who actually make their living in the game. Don't shoot the messenger, better yet feel free to put me on 'ignore.'

And I can in fact, quote you three games where the Sox lost because the umpires called the game in the same type situation. Twice against the Yankees in the 50's and once in Baltimore in 1971 after Mike Andrews hit a home run in the top of the 9th inning, the rains came, the inning was washed out and the Sox lost.

I'm sure ending a game at 3:35AM is 'fair' to the fans, you know the folks who pay the freight for this. To say nothing of the players themselves having to try to perform at that hour.

As far as a "conspiracy", I only pass along what I'm being told by folks who actually make their living in the game. Don't shoot the messenger, better yet feel free to put me on 'ignore.'

And I can in fact, quote you three games where the Sox lost because the umpires called the game in the same type situation. Twice against the Yankees in the 50's and once in Baltimore in 1971 after Mike Andrews hit a home run in the top of the 9th inning, the rains came, the inning was washed out and the Sox lost.

Nobody said life or baseball is fair is it?

Lip

But the rules have been changed since then as it clearly states in that article.

Agree or disagree with the decision to not call the game, I don't see the issue here and the fans actually got to watch more baseball than they would have if he'd called the game 2 hours earlier (or whatever), so using the fans as an excuse seems counterproductive to your argument.

I don't see the issue here.

__________________Riding shotgun on the Sox bandwagon since before there was an Internet...

But the rules have been changed since then as it clearly states in that article.

Agree or disagree with the decision to not call the game, I don't see the issue here and the fans actually got to watch more baseball than they would have if he'd called the game 2 hours earlier (or whatever), so using the fans as an excuse seems counterproductive to your argument.

The VISITING team had scored in the 9th to take the lead. If he calls the game, they LOSE despite the fact that they were WINNING. Obviously the Cardinals wanted the game called. I'm not a huge fan of Joe West, but I appreciate the fact that he went above and beyond to make sure that the team that deserved to win the game actually did so.

If the White Sox lost a game because the umpires didn't wait out rain you would be blaming it on a 30-year conspiracy based on an off-handed comment that Eddie Einhorn made to Lee McPhail in 1982 and the MLB front offices have been extracting revenge against the Sox ever since.

The VISITING team had scored in the 9th to take the lead. If he calls the game, they LOSE despite the fact that they were WINNING. Obviously the Cardinals wanted the game called. I'm not a huge fan of Joe West, but I appreciate the fact that he went above and beyond to make sure that the team that deserved to win the game actually did so.

If the White Sox lost a game because the umpires didn't wait out rain you would be blaming it on a 30-year conspiracy based on an off-handed comment that Eddie Einhorn made to Lee McPhail in 1982 and the MLB front offices have been extracting revenge against the Sox ever since.

I think they have changed the rules regarding these types of situations. I think now if the road team ties it or takes the lead, and the delay hits and the game is official, it becomes a suspended game.

I think they have changed the rules regarding these types of situations. I think now if the road team ties it or takes the lead, and the delay hits and the game is official, it becomes a suspended game.

I don't think that's correct. They have changed the rule, but according to the article, if the visiting team takes the lead, the score reverts to whatever it was following the last completed full inning, so the Cardinals would still have won despite losing the lead in the ninth, as they led 2-1 after eight complete innings of play.

I don't think that's correct. They have changed the rule, but according to the article, if the visiting team takes the lead, the score reverts to whatever it was following the last completed full inning, so the Cardinals would still have won despite losing the lead in the ninth, as they led 2-1 after eight complete innings of play.

That was the old rule. According to the MLB rule book, the article is wrong. See #5

4.12
SUSPENDED GAMES.
(a) A game shall become a suspended game that must be completed at a future date if the game is terminated for any of the following reasons:
(1) A curfew imposed by law;
(2) A time limit permissible under league rules;
(3) Light failure or malfunction of a mechanical field device under control of the home club. (Mechanical field device shall include automatic tarpaulin or water removal equipment);
(4) Darkness, when a law prevents the lights from being turned on;
(5) Weather, if a regulation game is called while an inning is in progress and before the inning is completed, and the visiting team has scored one or more runs to take the lead, and the home team has not retaken the lead; or

That was the old rule. According to the MLB rule book, the article is wrong. See #5

4.12
SUSPENDED GAMES.
(a) A game shall become a suspended game that must be completed at a future date if the game is terminated for any of the following reasons:
(1) A curfew imposed by law;
(2) A time limit permissible under league rules;
(3) Light failure or malfunction of a mechanical field device under control of the home club. (Mechanical field device shall include automatic tarpaulin or water removal equipment);
(4) Darkness, when a law prevents the lights from being turned on;
(5) Weather, if a regulation game is called while an inning is in progress and before the inning is completed, and the visiting team has scored one or more runs to take the lead, and the home team has not retaken the lead; or

If that's the case, then it looks like West applied an obsolete rule to decide how to manage the conclusion of the game.